


The Wedding Gift

by starrynightfantasies



Series: In Clone Love and War [10]
Category: Loki - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Jotunheim, wedding gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-18
Packaged: 2021-02-19 00:41:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22202461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrynightfantasies/pseuds/starrynightfantasies
Summary: Loki gives Frost a wedding gift rich in symbolism.
Relationships: Frost Loki/Cat, Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: In Clone Love and War [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/993879
Comments: 9
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

_The Wedding Gift_

_A Frost and Cat Story_

~Part One~

Loki

The chest was ancient; stowed away at the back of the closet like a forgotten relic. Like much of Loki’s past, it had been buried beneath newer, happier, brighter possessions. Memories he cherished instead of those that pained him sat atop the ornate box as if he could cover it enough to wipe it away completely. Somehow, he’d always known he would have to face its contents no matter how hard he tried to forget them. 

As he made his way through the carefully packed boxes of keepsakes, Loki tried his best not to stop to savor the more attractive artifacts he had either stolen or inherited. He was on a mission, and he knew that if he stopped to admire the things he actually liked, he would never complete his journey. When he finally reached the ice cold titanium hued chest, his heart almost seized up. It was as if he was standing in the cruel landscape of Jotunheim all over again; facing the demons he’d been running away from since his boyhood. 

  
  


April had begged him not to go. She feared it was a trap. Knowing that Loki had lured his father- the king of Jotunheim- to Asgard under false pretenses only to kill him, she assumed they'd finally gathered the resources to get their revenge. Loki wasn't concerned about his safety though. He was far more concerned that they were going to ask for his assistance. As it turned out, they were both wrong. 

The Jotuns were unaware of Loki's lineage or the fact that he was born to be king of Jotunheim until Odin's death. It seemed that information had been withheld from them. Loki could only speculate the reason behind Odin's secrecy, but he assumed it was due to the old man's own treachery. 

When he arrived in the dreaded ice realm, he was shocked to be greeted with nothing but the finest foods and delicacies Jotunheim had to offer. Several of the Frost Giants even approached him as if they were prepared to be his servants, but Loki would not- _could not_ accept. 

He rarely found himself in a situation where he felt unprepared, but he had to admit he was at a loss.

“As much as I appreciate this... enthusiastic greeting, I am deeply concerned that I have misinterpreted the reason for your invitation- generous as it was,” Loki added, hoping his comment wouldn't offend the Giants. 

He was shocked once more when one of the more highly decorated Jotun warriors stepped forward, kneeling at his feet. 

“King Laufeyson, we have invited you here to ask you to take your rightful place on the throne. We ask your forgiveness as we've only learned of your lineage recently,” he stated plainly, leaving Loki to decode his message. 

“Your skill in magic as well as your fighting and strategy skills are needed in these dire times,” the warrior continued. 

Loki found himself feeling small despite the fact that the Giant was kneeling. The Giant was as tall as he was, even on his knees. 

“I... I'm honored. But I have a wife. I have a home. I can't leave her, and I certainly can't bring her here. She's human. She would not survive,” Loki explained, feeling a sudden twinge of pity for the Giants. 

The Jotun warrior's expression was almost desolate as he nodded and rose to his full height. It was the first time Loki had noticed the Giant’s armor. The shining blue crest on his chest; the silver colored chains that criss crossed his hips; the thick fur collar he wore around his shoulders. 

This was no warrior. This was Jotunheim’s current king. 

As Loki considered the Giant standing before him, he wondered why the king would seek him out. Loki was, as Odin always said, cast out of Laufey’s sight and his family. All because he was too small. Surely the king had plenty of warriors to defend the realm without Loki's leadership. 

“I'm no king,” Loki admitted, “I've been in hiding for years. All I want is to be left alone to be with my wife; to start a family. I'm not the savior you seek.” 

“Nevertheless, I do have something that might be of use,” he said, hoping his gamble wouldn't come back to haunt him. 

Loki had been in possession of the Casket of Ancient Winters since Asgard’s destruction. He had taken it at the same time he'd stolen the tesseract from Odin's vault, but he'd never told anyone. He had hidden it in a pocket dimension in case he ever needed it. It seemed now was the time. As he pulled it from his cloak, he heard a collective gasp from the Giants who were watching his exchange with the king. 

In exchange for his... _generosity_ \- as the they had called it, the Giants had presented Loki with a chest. One he hadn't wanted to open until years later- the day that Frost had emerged from his spell, terrified and shaking. 


	2. Chapter 2

~Part Two~

_ The Armor and the Clone _

“I don’t  _ want _ the damn thing,” Loki muttered angrily, shoving the chest into the closet. 

“All I wanted to do was--” he trailed off, unsure of what to say next. 

“Was what, love? Why did you do it? I know that Casket was one of your favorite possessions. What made you decide to give it back to them?” April asked softly. 

She knew he was feeling defensive, and no matter how  _ she _ felt about it, she knew his emotions were overwhelming him. 

Loki stood back and stared down at the dark silver chest. His scowl told April that he was hiding his true feelings; something he only did when he was afraid of what she would think. 

“I gave it to them because I couldn’t help them. I couldn’t give them my skills or my strategic knowledge, and I  _ didn’t want to _ . All I want is to be here with you,” he whispered. “But if you could see the way they were living… Odin destroyed them. And I’m not even certain his story is the truth. They deserved to have their lives back.”

April teared up; rushing into Loki’s arms and burying her face in his chest. She felt so  _ proud _ of him. He hadn’t truly accepted his lineage or his heritage yet, but he had begun to see the Frost Giants-  _ his people _ \- as beings who could feel. Hunger, fear, anger, pain, sadness, love- they felt it all, and Loki  _ saw it _ . He’d had mercy on the race he’d once tried to destroy; the race he’d once thought was just monsters. 

Although Loki had felt compassion for the Jotuns, he still had no desire to explore the contents of the chest. He piled everything he could find on top of it until it was invisible at the bottom of the closet. There it sat until several years later. 

  
  
  


~ _ Frost~ _

He was terrified and shivering even though he was Jotun through and through. As Loki looked down at his newest creation, he couldn’t imagine how his spell could have gone so far awry. Crouching down, Loki did his best to comfort the clone. He couldn’t help wondering if he’d made a grave mistake; if he could somehow  _ undo _ what he’d done, but seeing the fearful expression on the clone’s face- on  _ his own _ true face- was enough to quell those thoughts immediately. He suddenly thought of the chest, and he wondered what it held; if its contents could help him somehow. Wrapping the clone in a blanket and locking the lab doors, Loki snuck upstairs to rummage through the closet he’d abandoned years ago. 

“Well this isn’t going to be helpful at all…” Loki muttered, not realizing that April had come home early. 

“What isn’t going to be--- oh my god. Is that... _ the _ chest?” April asked, completely shocked that Loki had ventured into the closet to find it. 

Loki was looking shifty, and April immediately knew that he was up to something- most likely something she wouldn’t approve of. 

“Loki, what is that? Is it armor?” 

April was fascinated by the beautiful details on the clothing inside the chest. 

“It’s ceremonial armor. Reserved for the rightful king of Jotunheim. It was passed down from generation to generation. Never worn by anyone who wasn’t part of Laufey’s--  _ my _ bloodline.”

The thought of Loki in his natural form, wearing something so  _ skimpy _ , yet so regal left April speechless. 

“Are you going to…?”

“Absolutely not,” Loki replied, already knowing what she was about to ask. He should have known she’d want to see him wearing it. He just couldn’t bear the thought of wearing the same armor his father had worn, especially after what he’d done so long ago. Sometimes he wished he hadn’t killed Laufey, especially in a desperate attempt to please Odin. Loki wouldn’t choose a different life for himself even if he could, but he often wondered how differently things would have gone if he’d simply told his real father the truth. Would he have been cast out, or would Laufey have welcomed him home?  _ Home? _ Loki shook his head at his own thoughts. 

“April, darling...I have something to show you.” 

Loki had no idea how April would react to housing  _ another _ version of himself. She’d been so generous and loving with his other selves already, so he had a feeling she would be just as kind to this one. He just hoped the Jotun clone would let go of his fears and leave the garage at some point. 

  
  
  
  



	3. Part Three- Loki and Frost

She said  _ yes _ ! Frost could hardly believe his life was real. Cat, the most beautiful, brilliant, amazingly kind woman in the entire universe had agreed to marry him. He couldn't wait to tell his brothers. He couldn't wait to tell  _ Loki _ . Loki had been there for him in a way that he would never be able to describe to anyone. Frost knew that Loki didn't feel comfortable in his natural form, but Loki had spent hours upon hours with him in an attempt to make him feel less alone. Whether Loki realized it or not, he had helped Frost begin to accept himself even though it took Cat’s influence to finally get him out of the house.

  
  


Loki was thrilled for Frost and Cat. After their whirlwind romance, he wasn't surprised, but he was very proud of Frost for having the guts to propose to Cat. Considering how he'd felt about his natural form, Loki didn't think he would have been able to do the same. He hadn't even been able to tell Meschella all those years ago, and they'd been betrothed. 

When Frost had come to tell him the news, Loki had been so touched by the way Frost had spoken to him. 

“I know the others are my brothers, but you're... more than that. You were there for me when I thought I didn't want to live. You-- you _ held _ me. You spent _ hours _ in your natural form and I know how uncomfortable you were.”

A few tears fell from his eyes and froze on his cheeks, and Loki found himself blinking back tears of his own. He'd tried to give Frost what he'd never had; what he'd needed when he found out what he was. He needed to be held. To be told he was okay. To feel like he wasn't so alone. But he hadn't believed anyone would want to be around him- not even his fiancee. So he had suffered alone. He'd let his self loathing fester until he couldn't stand being in his own skin. 

“I'd like it if you'd be my best man,” Frost said softly.

Loki had immediately agreed. How could he not? He also hoped Frost wouldn't ever mention their time in the garage to anyone else. It wasn't that he was ashamed of it. It was that he felt as if he was finally able to give  _ himself _ what he'd needed all those years ago. It felt extremely personal. 

“I have something I want you to see,” Loki told Frost. “I've never been able to bring myself to wear it, but I-- well, I've kept it safe for a long time and now I think I know why.” 

When Loki opened the chest for Frost, he heard Frost gasp behind him. He wasn't sure if it was excitement or something else entirely. 

When he turned to look at Frost, Loki was surprised to see the clone smiling and blushing a deep purple hue.

“Is this--armor?” He asked hesitantly.

Loki nodded. 

“Ceremonial armor. It belonged to my father-  _ our _ father. Laufey. Now, if you accept it, it belongs to you.” 

Frost's already bright eyes lit up even more.

“What kind of ceremony would this be suited for?” 

He asked, already knowing the answer. He was already picturing himself wearing the sparse, but extremely decorative armor for his and Cat’s wedding. He wondered if he'd be able to do so without blushing.

“It would be perfect for your wedding,” Loki confirmed. “And I think Cat would be pleased,” he added, smirking slightly. 

Frost felt himself blushing deeply again as he lifted the skimpy breastplate from the chest. 

“Can I try it on?”


	4. The Armor

As Frost stood admiring his reflection in Loki's bedroom mirror, he couldn't help wondering what Jotunheim was really like. He wondered if he'd ever get the opportunity to visit the frozen realm. The idea of meeting others  _ like him _ was so tempting. But Cat- would she even be able to tolerate the chill? Could he bring her with him? 

He couldn't believe he was able to look at himself this way and not cringe. He remembered how, not too long ago, he had asked- no,  _ begged _ \- Loki to find a way to make him like the others. To make him  _ normal _ . He'd slowly realized there was no such thing. Even among the Midgardians, everyone was a bit abnormal, and it was quite wonderful. Now, when he saw his bright red eyes and his skin with its varying shades of blue, all he thought about was what Cat said about them. She loved them, and that made him proud.

The ceremonial armor he wore was nothing like his Asgardian armor. This armor didn't feel like armor at all. It felt more like... Negligee. There were intricately carved patterns on the skimpy metal plates that fit his hips perfectly, and there was nothing covering his abdomen. He was bare all the way to his shoulders where he wore thick metal plates covered in black fur. Tiny chains crossed his chest and held the two shoulder pieces together. On his wrists, he wore black leather bracers that were also trimmed with fur. The same black fur draped between the two metal plates on his hips and barely covered his groin. He wondered what Cat would say when she saw him.  _ If _ he could manage to appear at their wedding so... _ Naked. _

“Oh... _ Wow!” _

Frost spun around and quickly tried to cover himself with his hands when he heard April's voice coming from the doorway.

“Cat is going to  _ die  _ when she sees you like this. And I may kill my husband for denying me this.”

Frost felt the blush creeping over his entire body, turning his skin a deep dark purple. 

“Dear gods... I'm sorry. I guess I forgot where I was for a moment,” he muttered. He'd gotten so entrenched in his own thoughts, he'd forgotten that he was in Loki and April's room.

April slowly walked toward him and sat on the edge of the bed, but she made no move to get any closer.

“No need to apologise. Loki told me you were in here. He sent me to check on you,” she smiled softly. “So, what do you think?”

Frost took a deep breath before answering.

“I think I'd like to visit Jotunheim. I want to see where we came from. Do you think that's possible? I---I mean, what would Cat say? Would she approve?” Frost's brow wrinkled as he fretted over the impossible request he'd just made aloud. 

April smiled knowingly. 

“I'm certain Cat would be fine with you visiting Jotunheim. That is, if you can convince Loki to go back. He wasn't exactly thrilled to be there when he got that chest, but I think he would do it again for you.”

Frost nodded. He knew Loki didn't want to be involved with the Frost Giants, but Frost felt a certain pull toward his own heritage that he couldn't explain. He longed to feel like he wasn't the only person in the universe who looked the way he did. 

“Would you like me to ask him for you?” 

Frost shook his head. He wanted to talk with Cat first, especially since they were engaged. It was important that he knew she was behind him. 

Frost took one last glance in the mirror before retreating into the bathroom to change back into his regular clothes. He almost hadn't wanted to take the armor off. Something about it made him feel oddly powerful, as if he was connected to something much older and much stronger than himself. 


End file.
